Crunchy Top Brownies

Valentine’s Day calls for a new brownie recipe!! I had a request from a reader to make brownies that have a crunchy top. After some research, I was able to make a pretty great batch. These brownies are chewy with a crunchy top and a rich fudge-y, chocolate-y taste! The secret to making the top crunchy is the chocolate chips which get melted and added to the batter.

Crunchy Top Brownies

In a small saucepan, melt:

1/3 cup butter

Add the butter into a mixing bowl with:

1 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well. Then add:

1/2 cup plain yogurt (equal to 2 eggs)

Mix well, then add in:

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Mix well and then add the dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Bake at 325 degrees F in a parchment lined 8 by 8 pan for 30-35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Recipe Note: If you want to have these with a different twist, replace 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips with mint chocolate chips to make mint brownies!

I am not sure, but it probably has something to do with the flour/butter content. If they are off a bit that would result in a flatter brownie. A lot of cakes can be made with plain yogurt and turn out really well. White Cakes are trickier and any cakes that call for beaten egg whites can be more difficult to replace. Most important is the flour/fat content in the cake combined with the yogurt in the proper ratios.

This was a fantastic recipe! I FINALLY got brownies that have that crunchy top and exact texture of a brownie with eggs. Thanks so much! My only issue was that I may have not mixed enough, so it was a bit chunky (I was afraid of turning it cakey bc that’s the worst “brownie”. But that has to do with my mixing for sure bc the rest was perfect. Also, do you know what a good sub for veg oil in brownie mixes is?

Thanks! Glad you are enjoying my recipe. You can try softened butter that you beat with the sugar but then probably will need another binder like applesauce or cornstarch without eggs. You could also try coconut oil.